Helping Malaysian students at Melbourne

Helping Malaysian students at Melbourne

Many alumni who came to Melbourne to study fondly remember their time on campus. However, for some, the combined cost of relocating to another country and living in a major city makes it seem an impossible dream.

Samantha Kok from Kuala Lumpur originally had to defer her studies for a year, as her family could not afford her tuition fees and the costs of relocating to Melbourne. Receiving a scholarship made all the difference.

Now in her second year of a Bachelor of Commerce, Samantha says studying at Melbourne is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

"This would not have been possible if it wasn’t for my scholarship,” she said. “It has certainly helped me gain the invaluable exposure of an overseas education. There is no doubt that studying here will help me develop the technical, analytical and management skills I need to be work-ready as an accountant.”

Samantha received the David and Mae Cheng Access Scholarship established by Malaysian-based alumnus Dato’ Douglas Cheng Heng Lee in honour of his parents.

Investing in the next generation was not a hard decision for Dato’ Cheng, who gave the gift of a world class education when he established an Access Scholarship offered exclusively to Malaysian students, helping them access the same opportunities he enjoyed at Melbourne.

I really enjoyed my time at the University, there is an equality and fairness in Australia that was partly the reason for us introducing the scholarship.

Dato’ Cheng realised that with his help, the struggles that many international students face when moving to Melbourne could be readily alleviated so he decided to invest in the next generation.

“I am settling in really well in Melbourne, said Samantha. “The people here are lovely and I am proud to say that I have made long-lasting friendships. I’m very grateful, thank you.”